Tennis – nothing clean, but then it never was

The International Tennis Federation is now facing allegations of match fixing, following on from Fifa’s corruption and Athletics doping cover-up scandals.

Where did all the old sporting spirit go? Nothing seems clean. Where competition brings a mass audience, cash registers are guaranteed to follow.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) was founded on 1 March 1913 in Paris with a Pisces Sun sextile Jupiter in Capricorn. The tr Saturn square tr Neptune this year is catching the ITF Pisces Sun. It will induce disappointment and damage reputations, more so from mid March onwards. Tr Neptune is also opposition the Solar Arc Saturn which is slowly approaching an opposition to the ITF Sun by late 2017. So a clean-up may take some time.

The IAAF (Athletics), 17 July 1912, has a similarly sinking year with the tr Saturn square tr Neptune bouncing off the Solar Arc Mars and Solar Arc Saturn; with tr Uranus square the Cancer Neptune Sun mid-year onwards. They’ll take even longer to get their house in order since their really testing time comes in 2020 after a major meltdown as tr Pluto opposes their Neptune Sun.

FIFA (football) 21 May 1904, is gridlocked this year with Solar Arc Mars square Pluto; and backed into a corner in 2018/19 with Solar Arc Sun square Pluto.

Maybe all this has something to do with the Uranus Pluto square upending the corrupt old structures and attempting along with Pluto in Capricorn to do a long term spring clean.

Pluto in Capricorn was historically associated with times of justice and culture. Not much of that on the horizon yet, but I travel hopefully..

PS. I  looked up a treatise on the original Olympic Games which suggests they weren’t much different. “Greek Olympics were fierce contests between bitter rivals, in which victors won kudos and rewards, and losers faced scorn and even assault. Victory was almost worth dying for and a number of athletes did just that. Many more resorted to cheating and bribery. Contested always bitterly and often bloodily, the ancient Olympics were not an idealistic celebration of unity, but a clash of military powers in an arena not far removed from the battlefield.” Ah well, another illusion shattered.

Oscars – the glitter tarnished

The Oscar nominations are coming in for heavy criticism because of the lack of black or minority actors, with talk of a boycott.

The first Oscars ever was held 16 May 1929 with a confident and stubborn Sun Jupiter in Taurus square Neptune in Leo – well suited to the indulgent feste and high finance of the premier film award jamboree. There’s also an inspirational, entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine of Neptune trine Saturn in self-righteous Sagittarius trine Venus in Aries. Grand Trines tend to get stuck in a comfortable rut, unless focused into a Kite with an opposition to one leg. It’s a chart with huge energy but lacking the capacity for radical change.

Until now. There’s a double whammy of collapse-and-rebuild influences. The Solar Arc Pluto is opposing the Oscars Uranus this year; and tr Uranus is square the O’s Pluto exactly now, followed by tr Pluto opposition Pluto. There may be a major tug of war between the old guard and the agents for change, but with all that force being generated something will have to give. Expect next year to be different.

Palin & Trump – the potential for fireworks

No one has yet come up with a snappy epithet for the duo of Palin and Trump, as she throws her hat into his ring. He normally dislikes sharing the limelight but for now is happy to give her a platform, while she no doubt relishes the prospect of getting back into the headlines.

The scene is set for some challenging interchanges.  Her ratchety, outspoken Sun Mars Saturn in Aquarius oppose his flamboyant Mars in Leo and Ascendant which is likely to prove argumentative. Her chaotic Uranus Pluto in Virgo falls in his 1st house so she’ll certainly rock his boat where his image is concerned.

Their relationship chart is incredibly intense and controlling with a composite Venus opposition Mars square Pluto – and she’s not a lady who likes being dominated.

There’s also a dynamic composite Cardinal Grand Cross so together they could start up a whirlwind.  Though there’ll be jolts, jangles and some outbursts when tr Uranus is conjunct the composite Sun in May and October. Before then from early March tr Pluto is conjunct the composite Jupiter which could go two ways. Either they charge ahead with high confidence in co-operation. Or they start to point-score against each other, trying to gain the upper hand. Maybe both.

Each of them has Jupiter in their natal chart in mid Cardinal, Palin at 16 Aries and Trump at 17 Libra – so from now onwards they’ll be on a high, pushing hard – probably too hard. Pluto Jupiter can be hugely successful but it can also go over the score, assuming rules don’t apply. Then it bites back. But they do extraordinarily (and tragically) have the most hopeful charts of any candidates for this year.

Donald Trump, 14 June 1946 10.54am New York; Sarah Palin 11 Feb 1964 9.44pm Sandpoint, ID.

Bernie Sanders & Hillary Clinton – neither too happy

Bernie Sanders is beginning to eat into Hillary Clinton’s once invincible lead, with his poll numbers up and a good showing in the last television debate.

Born 8 September 1941 New York 12.27pm (ADB) he’s got some mixed blessings ahead. Tr Uranus sextile his Jupiter will definitely help from mid March for two weeks.

But that apart he’s got tr Saturn square his Sun mid Feb to early March which is discouraging; loss-making and disappointing Neptune transits to midpoints from mid Feb to mid April. May and June looks high stress and insecure with tr Uranus square Sun/Saturn, Sun/Uranus and then conjunct his Mars.  The last of those might even bring up health issues.

Hillary Clinton’s chart (without a verified birth time) has nothing too great. She looks uncertain and downbeat late Jan to early March with tr Pluto trine her Saturn/Neptune midpoint; with additional stresses in February from tr Uranus trine Mars/Saturn. April is overwrought with tr Uranus square her Uranus/Pluto; and May more so with tr Uranus opposition her Solar Arc Mars Pluto.

On an 8am birth time tr Jupiter is going through her 10th which has to help. But that’s not certain.

Her bid chart of 12 April 2015 3.05pm New York, is getting rocked on its axis at the moment and more so in May.

Flint, Michigan – poisoned by poverty

The drinking water in Flint, Michigan is so polluted by lead and other contaminants that it is causing irreversible damage to the population’s health. In 2014 the supply was switched away from Detroit in a financial crisis to a cheaper local supply into which car factories used to pour waste. The corrosive Flint River water, which could have been sorted with a simple phosphate additive, started dissolving at the city’s lead-based pipes. There has been a spike in Legionnaire’s Disease as well with deaths.

Flint, the birthplace of activist Michael Moore, has 40% under the poverty level, 30% are illiterate, and violent crime levels are among the highest in the USA. It is nearly two thirds black.

President Obama has declared it a disaster zone. People from all over the US are sending in bottled water and donations. It has now been reconnected to the Detroit supply, but it may be a year before the water is safe to drink again. There have been class action lawsuits filed against the state Governor Rick Snyder amongst others.

The first city charter for Flint was agreed on 3 February 1855 when Uranus Pluto were in Taurus, Neptune in Pisces was square Saturn in Gemini; and Jupiter, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars were spread out through Aquarius.

In the past two years tr Pluto was trine Uranus creating disruptions; with tr Saturn squaring the Aquarius planets. At the moment the Solar Arc Neptune is opposing the Sun/Mars midpoint which is undermining and panicky. The tr Saturn square tr Neptune is also in hard aspect to the Flint Saturn Neptune square – so high levels of worry.

Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican and venture capitalist, was born 19 August 1958 in Michigan, and is a Sun Leo conjunct Pluto; with Sun sextile Jupiter in Libra, trine Saturn in Sagittarius, and widely square Mars in determined Taurus. He’s got a tough, scary struggle through 2016/17 with tr Pluto trine his Mars.

His Mars incidentally falls exactly conjunct the Flint North Node so quite a karmic cross-over. His Sun Pluto are probably conjunct the Flint Virgo Moon (midday start). And his Neptune opposes the Flint Pluto. So no surprises he arouses local anger and is made to feel responsible for undermining the city’s potency.

The relationship chart between Snyder and Flint is apt with a composite Pluto opposition Neptune square Mars – Neptune Pluto is associated with scandal and unseen poisons by water; and Mars with hasty decisions that lead to fights.

Snyder took up his Governorship on January 1 2011 which has a fearsome chart with Pluto Sun Mars in Capricorn and the Sun sitting midway between the two powerful and ruthless planets. The Saturn in Libra also squares Sun Mars – so compassion and sentiment not exactly on the agenda. That chart is pressured this year, more so in 2017 when it grinds to a halt with tr Pluto conjunct Mars.

Michael Moore, the documentary filmmaker and writer – Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko – was born 23 April 1954 12.46pm Flint, MI. He’s a tough-minded and angry Taurus Sun opposition Saturn, and trine Moon Mars in Capricorn.

His determined Pluto, on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine of Jupiter in Gemini trine Neptune, is conjunct Snyder’s Sun and square his Mars – so it’ll be a gladiatorial battle. Their relationship chart has a power-struggling composite Jupiter Pluto on the point of a composite mini-Grand Trine of Sun Venus trine Neptune; and square Saturn. So there’ll be no quarter given.

Celine Dion – a sad time – Algol and Neptune

Singer Celine Dion has suffered a double tragedy with one of her older brothers dying two days after her husband, both from cancer. She retired from her career for a year from mid 2014 to be with her husband Rene Angelil as his condition worsened. He found her as a 12 year old and nurtured her career, marrying when she was 26 and he was 52.

Born 30 March 1968 12.15pm Charlemagne, Canada, she has a hard-working, self-reliant Sun Saturn in Aries straddling her Midheaven, with Moon in late Aries conjunct Mars in Taurus also in her 10th. So very ambitious, a good organiser as well as suited to a public career; and with a Leo Ascendant has a flamboyant persona.  Her Venus Mercury in musical Pisces opposes Pluto Uranus in Virgo so an emotional and creative life filled with constant change.

She’s been through tough times recently with tr Uranus conjunct her Sun MC Saturn and then following that tr Pluto in the 6th square all three. So huge pressures and discouragement.

At the moment her Solar Arc Sun which is coincidentally conjunct Algol, the destructive Fixed star, is opposition her 4th house Neptune – so undermining family circumstances.

Her Progressed Moon is just into her 7th house of close relationships, staying for just under two years – a time when she’ll miss the support of a partner greatly.

Tr Pluto sextile her Venus Mercury and tr Uranus trine her 2nd house Jupiter may give her an emotional and financial boost by 2018. Though she’s also got her Solar Arc Neptune square her Saturn MC then as well – so confusion over work, health and career directions.

Tsai Ing-wen – Taiwan’s female president facing the dragon

Taiwan has their first female president as the pro-independence party swept to victory in the elections, evoking tremors of disapproval from Beijing.

Tsai Ing-wen, 31 August 1956, is a Sun Jupiter in Virgo with Sun widely conjunct Pluto in late Leo. Pluto in turn is square Saturn in obsessive Scorpio. She has a Water Grand Trine of Saturn trine Mars in Pisces trine Venus in Cancer. Quite a chart. Enthusiastic, lucky, hard-working, ultra-determined and self-protective, difficult to get to know. Certainly she’ll have been used to tough times so will have resilience.

She won’t have an easy run in with tr Neptune opposing her Jupiter from mid April onwards till late 2017. That may be economic, since she doesn’t sound as if she wants to be confrontational initially with China. Tr Saturn will also square her Jupiter, off and on till October this year. So a confusing, uncertain time.

Her Saturn is conjunct the China MC and her Uranus conjunct the China Descendant so she will be seen as a rival and divisive.

The relationship chart between herself and China could start to rock n’ roll from late March, worsening through April and May as tr Uranus squares the composite Uranus, then opposes the composite Saturn Neptune. It will worsen considerably late 2016 with tr Saturn square Venus Sun; and destabilise in 2017 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Uranus.  So it may be China ramping up the ante and trying to back her into a corner.

There’s a handful of charts for Taiwan itself since it has a muddled history through Japanese oppression and beyond. The Jan 1 1912 chart looks high-tension and stressed through the next three years and trapped by 2020.

The 7 December 1949 is edgy and discouraged this year with major challenges and risk in 2017/18.

Michael Caine – a prolific Pisces

Actor Michael Caine is still going strong despite being 82 with his latest movie Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth about to appear.

Born 14 March 1933 10.10am, he grew up poor in London, his mother a cleaner and his father a Billingsgate fish porter. He’s had a long and illustrious career and a 43 year marriage to Guyanian former model Shakira.

He has Sun and Venus and North Node in Pisces in his 10th so suited to a film career; with Mercury in Aries also in the 10th. What anchors him will be his Jupiter in the 4th in Virgo opposition his Sun/Venus midpoint – a happy home life gives him a platform from which to operate.

Though he’ll have been and still is constantly on the move. He has Uranus in Aries opposition his entertaining 5th house Libra Moon square Pluto in his 2nd. So a life in permanent revolution but it seems to suit him. Quite controlling.

He has a strong actors’ 15th Harmonic.

His wife Shakira, 23 Feb 1947, is another Sun, and maybe Moon, in Pisces; with Venus in Capricorn and Jupiter in Scorpio so she’ll appreciate the good life.